Give the Gift of a Healthy River this Holiday Season

Thinking of the perfect gift can be a tough task during the holiday season. Here are a few gift ideas that also benefit the James River Association. By giving these gifts, you are helping us continue to reach toward our goal of a healthy James River.

• James River Association Membership  - Members also receive discounts of up to 20% at outfitters throughout the watershed.
• James River Blend Coffee from Blanchard’s Coffee – Clean water makes great coffee. The James River Blend is a perfect coffee to complement cool, crisp mornings on the river.
• Great Return from Hardywood Park Craft Brewery – This West Coast style IPA is a great gift for beer lovers.
• Tycoon Tackle fishing rod – Custom built fly fishing and spinning rods specifically designed for fishing the mighty James from a world renowned outfitter.
• James River art series – These posters, fine art prints, t-shirts and notecards are perfect for Richmonders who love the James.
• Amazon Smile – Use Amazon Smile when making your Amazon purchases. Make sure to designate the James River Association as your charity of choice.

For more gift ideas, visit our online Gift Shop. We hope you have a happy holiday!

Volunteering for the James

We are so thankful for our volunteers. People just like you give their precious time to help us create a cleaner, healthier watershed.

Meet Jose Espinoza a 24 year old IT professional originally from Stafford, VA. His love for the James led him to clean up trash in the Richmond region, as well as translating river information to Spanish to bring awareness to the Latino population.  Here’s what Jose had to say about his experience volunteering:

I moved to Richmond about 6 years ago to attend Virginia Commonwealth University and graduated in 2013. Like many VCU students, I had my first encounter with the James River by hanging out at Belle Isle. Every time I went to the river, it gifted me and my friends with new experiences and great quality time. Belle Isle brings so many people together but people also take it for granted. 

 After seeing so many people at Belle Isle throw trash on the ground and sometimes in the river, I decided to do something about it. I initially reached out to James River Association to volunteer in their self-directed trash cleanup program and have picked up trash along the Pipeline Trail. The James River Association also tapped into my cultural background to help them bring river awareness to the growing Latino population in the Richmond area. I helped them in translating pamphlets and newsletter that will educate Spanish speakers about the conservation of natural resources, good habits for the river and even volunteering opportunities. I really enjoyed this aspect of my volunteering experience because it helped the organization reach a different audience they wouldn’t have reached without my help 

I would highly encourage Richmond residents to volunteer with the James River Association because it feels good to give back to the river that has given so much to you in one way or another.

If you are interested in volunteering, contact Ben Hawkins, Volunteer Coordinator, at bhawkins@jrava.org. 

Thank You

On this Thanksgiving, the James River Association wants to express our gratitude to all of our members and supporters. We couldn’t carry out our mission to protect and restore the health of the James River without…

• Our volunteers throughout Virginia who generously donate their time to help better the watershed. This past year you have helped plant over 1,700 trees and collect over 15,000 pounds of trash.
• RiverRats who patrol over 800 miles of the James and its tributaries. These dedicated volunteers keep watch over the river and complete action projects that better their communities and the health of their waterways.
• The members of our Action Network who make their opinions heard and strengthen our voice, the voice for the river. And the River Hero Homes who proudly take action to reduce pollution at home.
  
• Our members who help provide education programs for students at the James River Ecology School, who support our events celebrating the river, and who helped us reach a score of B- in the 2015 State of the James report. 

Your dedication to the James has strengthened this organization. We couldn’t do the work we do without people like you.

As we look back on 2015, we are proud of the accomplishments and the progress we have made over the past year. The James River Association thanks you. And more importantly, the river thanks you.

Volunteering for the James

We love our RiverRat volunteers! They act as the James River’s first line of citizen defense by assisting our Riverkeepers as the eyes and ears of the river and its tributaries. RiverRats come from all over the watershed, are all ages and have many different backgrounds. You don’t need to be a scientist or skilled paddler to become a RiverRat.

Meet Fred Kelly and Will Maddox, Lower James RiverRats. Fred is a retired mental health professional who currently lives in Dinwiddie County. His family has owned a cabin on the James River for five generations. This is where his father taught him to paddle and introduced him to the joys of being on the river. However, it was at that time a river in trouble. In those days the James was a dumping ground and it was not uncommon to find the shore lined with dead fish due to this pollution. There were fewer ducks, geese, osprey and virtually no eagles.

Thanks to the Clean Water Act and the efforts of local organizations like the James River Association, the river and its wildlife have bounced back. It is once again a place for recreation and creating memories. Fred shares his experiences on the James with his grandson Will. Fred says “Becoming a River Rat has greatly enhanced my enjoyment of being on the river by allowing me to become a protector of it as well. I only wish that I could have been doing this since I began paddling in the mid 1950s. I am especially pleased that my 15 year old grandson, Will, who took the River Rat training with me, will be in place to continue monitoring the river that he has grown to love long after I am no longer able to do so. I strongly encourage anyone who enjoys being on the river to get the training for becoming a River Rat. This is an opportunity that has been a long time coming. Don't miss it. Your river needs you.”

Here is what Fred had to say about his first RiverRat patrol with his grandson this past October:

Will and I have been paddling the James all of our lives and feel a need to preserve and protect this beautiful river. So when we heard about the River Rat program we were excited to get involved.

On October 23^rd, we went on our first official River Rat patrol with the mission of shore clean-up. Hurricane Joaquin had produced flooding which carried lots of plastic, glass and other debris onto the shoreline. Our goal was to begin dealing with this problem by cleaning the shore on Tar Bay, part of our designated patrol area. After gathering and bagging trash from about 100 yards of shoreline, we headed out in our boat to collect a very large piece of debris that a previous storm had deposited on a tree nearby. It had been an eye-sore for months and we had talked about removing it all summer. This was the day. How good it was to see that pink, plastic car in our boat rather than on that tree! 

Next, we decided to make a run around Coggins Point and up Powells Creek to check out its status after the hurricane. Powells Creek is beautiful any time of year with its mixture of hardwoods and marsh but this day was exceptional. We motored up about a mile or more into an area where few people venture and stopped to take pictures. The first thing Will spotted as he stepped out of the boat was a very lively crayfish. He had learned earlier this year while on a James River Expedition that crayfish are a good indicator of pollution-free water. So we are happy to report the good water conditions in that part of the creek. We also found no trash to clean up. How lucky we are to have such a pristine area to enjoy, and now, to help watch over.

Assisting the RiverKeepers on the James makes a recreational outing on the river very gratifying. It lets us give back to the river that has always given us so much pleasure.

Need another excuse to get out on the water? Want to make a difference while enjoying your time outdoors? Email Ben Hawkins at bhawkins@jrava.org to learn more about the RiverRats program or other volunteer opportunities. 

Clean water means good fishing in the James

Tim O’Brien, president of Tycoon Tackle, Inc., has a passion for the waters he fishes. And he fishes a lot. After all, he came by his passion as honestly as a fisherman could- through his father. In 1935, Frank O’Brien founded Tycoon Tackle in Miami, gear for the era’s renowned sportsmen; sportsmen like Zane Grey and Ernest Hemingway.

“My dad just happened to come on the scene about that time and he developed these fishing rods that…were not breaking, and they started catching these giant fish,” Tim O’Brien said.

Frank O’Brien’s passion was startlingly interrupted in World War II, forcing the company to retool production to stay in business. Making fishing gear took a backseat to making aircraft landing gear. The company resumed making fishing gear after the war with a steady decline over the years due to the advent of mass produced fishing rods.

 All that changed close to a decade ago when Tim O’Brien led the rebirth of a once legendary tackle company producing bamboo, glass and graphite fly rods, and spinning and trolling rods. Armed with a sincere love of the sport and a doctoral degree in fisheries policy from Virginia Commonwealth University, O’Brien is poised to bring history to life. And his goal is to support organizations as passionate as he is about clean water.

In 2014 Tim O’Brien and Pat Calvert, the Upper James RiverKeeper for the James River Association decided to collaborate on a series of James River rods that would benefit the mission of preserving and protecting the health of America’s Founding River.

“Any business that relies on healthy, clean water is a good business in our opinion,” Calvert said.

This October we are proud to see the release of four rods, two spinning rods and two fly rods, specifically designed for use in the historic James River. Proceeds from each sale benefit our mission to preserve and protect the river for future generations. The rods will be custom, built-to-order, co-branded and appropriate for fishing sections of the James River. They will be available online at Tycoon Tackle and in finer outfitters throughout the watershed.

James RiverRats Raft-Up

During the weekend of October 17^th thirty of our most dedicated volunteers, our River Rats, met for the 5th annual RiverRats Raft-Up. This year’s Raft-Up was held in Scottsville, VA at the James River Inn on a 300-foot bluff overlooking the James and the vast watershed that RiverRats have been patrolling and protecting since 2011.

Our keynote speaker, Dr. Sarah Milov professor of History at the University of Virginia, kicked off the day with an inspiring talk about the power of grassroots activism, specifically drawing parallels between the non-smoker campaign for clean public air and our fight for a pristine natural resource and clean drinking water. Next, during a two-hour workshop on Patrols and Action Project planning, James River Association staff and RiverRats worked to calibrate our efforts and define strategies which will be implemented over the next year.

Two major strategies, and several minor adjustments, will be immediately undertaken. First, data from patrols, of which there are approximately 20 per month, will be more consistently reported, publicly and to other RiverRats, via monthly email updates and an interactive GoogleMap. Secondly, we will work to leverage existing technologies to streamline reporting and to expand patrols. We are working to utilize a GPS-enabled smartphone app called WaterReporter and we are considering the development of online RiverRat trainings to accommodate conservationists who may not be able to attend one of our four trainings held throughout the watershed each year.

After the strategy session, it was time to enjoy our world-class natural resource by paddling the Mighty James, award our outstanding RiverRats of the year, and finally to relax to the soothing, mountain sounds of the Rockfish Gap Band.

If you are interested in becoming a River Rat to keep watch over the James, the Raft-Up is one of many perks. You also have an opportunity to spend time paddling and protecting the river you love. Consider attending one of our upcoming trainings. If you are already a River Rat, we sincerely thank you for your commitment to protecting the James River now and for future generations. 

Volunteering for the James

James River Association volunteers come in all shapes and sizes. They live all over the watershed, have many different skills and can be any age.

Meet our October Volunteer of the Month, Kiersten Hines. She’s a 13 year old Richmonder who has a passion for learning new things, playing the saxophone, volunteering and of course spending time on the James. She likes to hike the trails along the river with her dogs and go swimming with her family. Kiersten took on a research project related to the Our River at Risk advocacy campaign. Here’s what she had to say about her experience:

My task was to research and inventory all of the Surface Water Discharges in the James River from 1988 to 2003 using data from the Environmental Protection Agency. I chose to volunteer because I think that the environment has provided us with so much – like food, shelter and peace – so it is only fair to give back. Saving the James is a cause I believe in, and I’m not surprised that so many other people do too.

I would encourage other people to volunteer because there is nothing more rewarding than putting time and effort into a cause you care deeply for. You could climb the highest mountain or swim the deepest sea and still not feel the happiness that you could experience working with your community to make this giant mass of dirt, water, minerals and organisms a more enjoyable place to live.

Everyone should give volunteering a chance!

Are you interested in volunteering for the James? There are all sorts of opportunities for you to get involved from planting trees, to research projects, to event volunteers and more. Sign up here to get involved today! 

There’s Hardly any Lawn at this River Hero Home!

Mark and Sally Wittkofski live in Henrico, Virginia with their son Nick. All three are garden enthusiasts and love Richmond’s James River Park System. Mark is semi-retired and describes himself as self-employed in Residential Garden Maintenance. Sally is a Landscape Architect/Landscape Designer. Their son Nick is currently a Fellow at the Allegheny Mountain Institute learning about organic gardening and permaculture.

The Wittkofski household is a certified River Hero Home. They decided to become a River Hero Home because they have been practicing organic gardening for a number of years, but wanted to be connected with others in the community who can provide information and resources to help them become better stewards of the James River.

Nick is interested in sustainability and permaculture. He encouraged his parents to install more river-friendly practices and eliminate most of their lawn by planting native plants in its place. There are two rain barrels at their house that collect about 70% of the rainwater from their roof. The other drain flows into a series of ditches, berms and rain water collection ponds to keep the water in the yard, rather than flowing into the sewer. Since most of their lawn is gone, the rain water is soaked up by native trees and shrubs.

The Wittkofskis want to encourage their friends and neighbors to eliminate the use of chemical herbicides and pesticides in their yards. These chemicals are dangerous to wildlife and have negative effects on the health of the James River. Instead, they encourage everyone to become a River Hero Home. Positive individual actions can result in a safer, cleaner environment for everyone. By installing river-friendly practices to prevent chemicals, bacteria from pet waste and sediment from entering local waterways, we can keep our river safe for recreation and clean for drinking water.

Education and Conservation are Key for this Lynchburg River Hero Home

David Stokes showing off vegetables from his
garden in front of a wall of climbing spinach

David Stokes lives in Lynchburg, Virginia a few miles from the James River with his wife Gail. He has certified his home as a River Hero Home and believes in helping educate the public on the importance of native plants and water conservation.

Even though David is retired, he is a very busy man! He is a certified Master Gardener and he volunteers much of his time educating the community about the importance of plants. Through the Master Gardener program, he works with DePaul Family Services to maintain a flower and vegetable garden to teach the importance of growing your own food and eating healthy. David also spends time at the Lynchburg Juvenile Detention Center where he works with teenagers planting a vegetable garden to grow produce for their meals. He is also president of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 196, a member of the American Legion and on the Commanders Board at the Salem Veterans Administration.

Becoming a River Hero Home was a no brainer for David. He has seen changes, both good and bad, to the river over his lifetime and has spent many years enjoying the James. Since he has been recycling for over 45 years and his home is on well water, it seemed only natural to recycle his rain water too. The Stokes’ have rain barrels, rain cubes and a drip irrigation system installed at their home. He uses the water he collects to water his native plants and trees.

Rain cubes collect runoff from your roof when it rains.

And he sure does he have his system figured out! With a beautifully landscaped lawn full of native plants, as well as a vegetable garden, David needs quite a bit of water. With his current setup, a half an inch of rainfall allows him to collect over 900 gallons of free water!

David says it is important to practice what you preach. If you believe in conservation, then setting up a rain collection system is a great way to do your part to conserve water.  Using this water to help your native plants thrive also provides habitat for wildlife and improves water quality in the James River. 

Richmond River Condition Information – Brought to You by Dedicated Volunteers

By: Conor O’Donnell, Water Quality Intern for James River Association

The James River Association is now in its final week of water quality testing for the 2015 summer.  From the end of May to the beginning of September, the peak time for river recreation, volunteers have spent their Thursday and Friday mornings collecting and testing water at seven different sites in Richmond along the James River – Huguenot Flatwater, Pony Pasture, 42^nd Street Rocks, Reedy Creek, Tredegar Flatwater, 14^th Street Take-Out, and Rocket’s Landing. Volunteers tested these sites for E. coli bacteria, a standard test in determining whether a water source is safe for recreation. Sources of E. coli bacteria in the river include waste from wildlife, dogs, and livestock. Waste from Richmond's sewer system occasionally overflows into the James near downtown during heavy rains, acting as another source of E. coli. When we talk about whether the river is clean or dirty, the amount of E. coli in the water is one of our most useful indicators. 

In measuring for E. coli, our volunteers not only sought to maintain a health record of the James, but also to answer the question that is asked by many river-goers each day:  is this water safe to swim in?  The answer to that question is a resounding yes, with a big "unless...". The pattern that we’ve observed in our testing, is that the river is a very clean and safe place to swim, unless... it is raining or has rained in the past two days. E. coli levels spike during both small and large storms when rainwater washes E. coli into the river from sources such as animal waste and city sewage. Over the course of a few days, this pollution makes its way downstream and the level of E. coli bacteria in our section of the river decreases. This does mean, however, that the pollution that entered the river near us will negatively affect river-goers downstream of us, just as the waste of livestock above the Richmond area directly affects us when it rains upstream. That means that in working towards a clean and healthy James River, our actions and achievements must be the sum of many parts, not just a few - our efforts must stretch through the whole course of James, all 340 miles as well as its tributaries.

In an effort to make public all of our collected data, the James River Association developed the James River Watch, a website that details testing results not only from our seven testing sites in Richmond, but also from other testing sites all along the course of the James and even some of its tributaries. The website is updated each week with new data, and will show you a 'green light' if it is currently safe to swim, or a 'red light' if it is not. It is a great resource to check before going out to the river, whether you're swimming, boating, or fishing.

Our volunteers' efforts this summer are just one example of the many ways in which active citizens have involved themselves in the collaborative effort to protect, care for, and clean up our river. We would like to extend a personal thank you to both our volunteers and to all other organizations and active citizens that have dedicated their time to help make our river the special place that it is. Thank you!

Visit James River Watch to learn more about river condition: jrava.org/jrw

Volunteering for the James

At the James River Association, we love our volunteers. People just like you give their precious time to help us create a cleaner, healthier watershed. Meet Ivy McCarron who works for Lynchburg’s YMCA. Ivy and her colleagues participated in our Self-Directed Trash Cleanup program. Here’s what she had to say about her experience:

When we were offered the chance to volunteer for community projects, I have to say that there is nothing anything else that we would rather be doing as the YMCA of Central Virginia Young Professionals Group.  As working professionals within the YMCA, we are naturally interested in wellness.  On our time off from being busy directors and coordinators, we really enjoy running and biking on the Black Water Creek Trail. 

The James River runs along the Black Water Creek Trail right through Lynchburg’s downtown near the location of our Downtown Branch.  When one of our members recommended doing a river cleanup, we jumped at the opportunity!  Our YMCA group had a total of 13 volunteers ranging from 22 to 35 years of age.  We spent about four hours cleaning the trail, resulting in five bags of trash gathered; including an old car tire. That day we also ran into a group of our YMCA Summer Camp kids who were on a nature walk.  We walked and sang camp songs with them along the way! 

Volunteering for our community is always fun and rewarding for us, but the James River cleanup was unique not only because it cleaned up somewhere we all enjoy on our time off, but we had yet another opportunity to share with the next generation the benefits of service to our community.

Are you interested in cleaning up the James? If so, register for the 16^th Annual James River Regional Cleanup on Saturday 9/12. There are 14 locations throughout the watershed, so where ever you live, you can jump in and help out!

September is for River Lovers

River Hero Homes receive a colorful garden flag 

September marks the beginnings of crisp mornings, kids going back to school and the fall planting season. At the James River Association it also means River Hero Home month. All month long, we will be sharing river-friendly tips, highlighting our partners and introducing you to River Hero Homes in our watershed.

Let’s start with the basics. What is a River Hero Home?  If you work to reduce runoff from your yard through a river-friendly practice like installing a rain barrel or planting native plants, you’re eligible to sign up for our River Hero Homes program. All you need to do is commit to a few simple, every day actions like picking up after your pet or smart lawn maintenance. Once you do that, fill out a form and send us a picture of your river-friendly practice and we’ll take care of the rest. River Hero Homes certification includes a membership card that gives you discounts at local home and garden shops, a colorful lawn flag and an invitation to our annual River Hero Home Lawn Party.

Rain barrels capture stormwater from your roof, 

which you can use to water your plants

Want to know more? Follow us on Facebook to learn about ways you can protect the James at home. Check our blog to see posts about homeowners like you who are turning their lawns into river-friendly havens for wildlife. Join us at the annual James River Regional Cleanup to show your dedication to a healthy James River - there are 14 locations throughout the watershed, so where ever you live, you can get involved.

And of course, we invite you to certify your home as a River Hero Home. 

Native plants filter stormwater runoff and provide habitat for wildlife

It Happens

by Ryan Corrigan, JRA's Director of Marketing and Membership

It happens. After all, when you take your best friend on long strolls through the park, sometimes nature calls. Sometimes, in fact, that’s why you’re taking your best friend on a long stroll. And before I go any further let me publicly state I too go on long strolls with my best friend. And nature always calls, which is why the James River Association is encouraging pet owners to “scoop the poop.”

The James River Association has installed 30 pet waste stations throughout City of Richmond parks, the James River Park System and Chesterfield County parks. Thanks to a Department of Environmental Quality grant funded by the US Environmental Protection Agency, it’s now super convenient for pet owners to clean up. This ultimately helps improve the water quality in the James River. How does cleaning up after our pets help the James? Super question.

Pet waste contains high levels of bacteria, such as E. coli, so when it rains, bacteria is washed into local waterways and storm drains making its way into the James River. Bacteria in waterways can negatively impact wildlife and be detrimental to human health. Picking up after our pets is an easy way to reduce this form of pollution.

So next time you’re out on a stroll with your furry friend, please remember to scoop the poop!

By the way, if you’re walking your cat, more power to you.

Volunteering for the James

Andrew Phillips is a 27 year old salesman and a resident of Richmond. He volunteered in July for the Richmond James River Splash & Dash to help out with this fun event and to interact with other people who also share a passion for the river. When he’s not volunteering, Andrew enjoys kayaking, fishing and trail running. When asked why he would encourage others to volunteer, Andrew says it is a great way to meet new people, swap river stories and do something to impact society in a positive way.

Here’s what Andrew had to say about his experience at the James River Splash & Dash:

Volunteering for the Richmond James River Splash & Dash started around 11:00 am for me. Unsure of where to go or who to help, I was quickly approached by another fellow volunteer who asked, “Can you help carry this water jug to the truck?” At that moment it was on. From unloading the stage for the band to helping set up advertisement signs, I felt like I had a significant impact on the preparation for the event. When asked to be the lead for the beer truck, my heart skipped a beat. I have always wondered what it was like to be on the “other side” of the table, and let me tell you, it was a treat! Explaining to fellow volunteers the procedure and system we had in place for the beer truck was empowering. As runners finished their race, my team was instrumental in rewarding them with a tasty libation to fill their gullet.

Volunteering is addicting.

Are you interested in volunteering? If so, visit our volunteer center to learn more!

The Great Return of The Great Return

In 2012, Eric McKay and Patrick Murtaugh, co-owners of Hardywood Park Craft Brewery took their inaugural trip on the James with us to check out our James River Ecology School. We spent an afternoon touring the James River and discussing several projects we had focused on, including a third Atlantic sturgeon spawning reef. On this journey, we shared why the James was as important to our history as it was to our future. And during the trip we found out more about these pioneering entrepreneurs and how this founding river  was a key factor in their decision to build a business from scratch in Richmond.

Little did we know that a few months later we would be celebrating Richmond’s victory as Outside magazine’s “Best River Town in America” with the rest of the city over a few celebratory craft beers at Hardywood. The relationship between clean water and clean beer solidified in both of our minds.

Shortly after Eric and Patrick came to our office with a presentation and a sweet surprise. They had created a west coast IPA inspired by our efforts to increase the number of sturgeon in the James.  “The Great Return “was released in October 2013. Described as bold, resinous and bursting with bright grapefruit aroma, this IPA is a tribute to the decades of hard work by conservationists to restore the James River as a bounty of vibrant aquatic life, eco-friendly recreational activity, and fresh brewing water.

In their commitment to river conservation, Hardywood contributes money from the sale of this amazing beer to The James River Association, to support our mission to be the guardian of the James River. The Great Return has proved to be so popular that Hardywood is now brewing and distributing it in several states year round, not just as a seasonal offering as originally intended.

In Eric and Patrick’s opinion the success of The Great Return is directly paralleled to the success of our river.

“Working closely with the James River Association has really been an eye opening experience for us. It has given us an inside look at how far the river has come in the past several years, how far it has yet to improve and what we can do to help. The James River is not only a major source of recreational activity in this city but the primary source of drinking water and, in our case, brewing water. Raising funds and awareness through sales of The Great Return is one small way we can do our part and help the James River Association’s efforts in protecting America's Founding River.

So next time you are in search of a beer that not only tastes great but also strives to preserve and protect America’s Founding River, head to Hardywood for “The Great Return".

Cheers to clean water! 

A Turning Point for the James

Today marks the 40^th anniversary of a turning point in the health of the James River.  On July 24^th, 1975 Life Sciences Products in Hopewell, Virginia was closed by the Commonwealth of Virginia due to the health impacts of its product, Kepone, a toxic insecticide.

What made the pesticide so effective also caused harm to the workers and the river. In 1975, Kepone made national headlines as workers fell ill from exposure to the neurotoxin and production was halted by the state. A few months later, the state also shut down the James River to fishing for the same reason – the river ecology was also impacted.

Because Kepone slowly breaks down in the environment, the commercial fishing ban lasted for 13 years, devastating the river’s fishing industry and contributing to the James River being identified as one of the most polluted rivers in America at the time.  Today, Kepone still rests in the sediment bed of the James, slowly being covered up year after year and reducing the risk to aquatic life, but it was still found in fish tissue until testing stopped in 2009. 

Photo Credit: Richmond Times Dispatch

In the year following the Kepone shutdown, the James River Association was formed to be a voice for the river and the people who care about it.  Over our history, we have seen tremendous improvements in the river’s health.  As a result, the James is now consistently graded as one of the healthier major tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay, and the river is a major recreation and tourist draw for the communities along it. 

With a healthier river, Richmond was named the Best River Town Ever by Outside Magazine and its award winning James River Park System is the largest tourist attraction in town.  In Hopewell, the city is now working with neighboring localities and partners to build riverfront trails, access points and amenities so that people can enjoy the very waters that were closed forty years ago. Because the river today enhances our quality of life and local tourism, in addition to supplying our drinking water and supporting commercial interests, it means that we have even more at stake in protecting it. 

But recent events remind us that toxic spills can still happen on our rivers if we are not vigilant. The Dan River coal ash spill, the Charleston, West Virginia chemical spill, and the Lynchburg oil train spill again made headlines across the country. Furthermore, in the past year we have also seen spills in Hopewell that caused fish kills and that shut down the City’s drinking water forcing businesses and schools to close.  These events clearly demonstrate that while we have made much progress, our river is still at risk.

Today, there are more than 1,100 chemical storage sites in the James River basin that hold over 80% of Virginia’s registered toxic chemicals. Billions of gallons of coal ash sit on the banks of the river in unlined storage ponds. Millions of gallons of highly volatile crude oil travel the railroads along the banks of the river every week.   

We are heartened by the recent steps taken to address these concerns, and now Governor McAuliffe and his administration have the opportunity to secure a healthier future for the James River.

Crude Oil Transport by Rail – On the anniversary of the Lynchburg oil spill, three major advances were announced:  the Governor’s Rail Safety and Security Task Force recommendations including increased rail inspections, Senators Warner and Kaine legislation to accelerate the use of safer rail cars and USDOT regulations for crude oil transport. The Governor must now ensure that his task force recommendations are fully implemented.

Coal Ash Storage – The US Environmental Protection Agency issued their first ever coal ash storage requirements while utilities in South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee committed to storing coal ash in fully lined and monitored facilities.  Governor McAuliffe has the opportunity to ensure that Virginia’s rivers have the same protection as rivers in our neighbors to the south.

Toxic Chemical Storage – This year, the Virginia General Assembly called for a study ensuring that chemical storage in the Commonwealth is conducted in a manner that protects human health and the environment. However, a James River watershed risk assessment, completed by Environmental Stewardship Concepts, found that there are substantial gaps in the information needed to accurately understand the risks facing our waters. Governor McAuliffe can make sure that we have the necessary data and adequate safeguards for the many chemicals stored along the river and discharged into it.

On this 40^th anniversary of the bold action taken to address one of the worst toxic contamination events in Virginia, we urge Governor McAuliffe to continue Virginia’s leadership and commitment to the health of its waters and its citizens.

Please join us in our efforts to protect Our River at Risk.

Restoring Historic Riverfront in Powhatan

Some of the many volunteers who gave their time to this project

Through a Virginia Department of Forestry grant, the James River Association (JRA) partnered with the Chesapeake Conservancy and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament to enhance and restore the riverfront along the James River at St. Francis/St. Emma, also known as Historic Belmead, in Powhatan, VA. 

Belmead was originally built as a plantation home along the banks of the James River. In the late 1800s, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament transformed the property into two private schools for African American and Native American students. Unfortunately, financial setbacks caused the schools to close in the 1970s and most of the historic buildings to be demolished. In 2011, this historic 2,265-acre property was listed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.

Doug Audley from the Department of Forestry

 shows volunteers how to properly plant a tree seedling 

JRA and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation both hold a conservation easement on 1,000 acres of land along the riverbank and throughout the years have worked closely with the Sisters to protect and enhance this historic property’s riverfront.

Over the course of five workdays this spring, 89 volunteers spent 342 hours of their time planting 1,500 native Virginia trees along a half-mile of James River-front. Plantings along the banks of waterways (riparian buffers) are important for three major reasons. First, they filter runoff that could include sediment and excess nutrients that flow off the land. Second, they provide wildlife habitat along the river corridor. And lastly, they reduce erosion by holding the soil along the banks in place. Even if your home does not border a waterway, trees are an important feature for any property because they reduce stormwater runoff and provide aesthetic value. Tree canopies capture and store rainfall and reduce soil erosion. They take up a large amount of water from the soil and provide important habitat for wildlife.

Planting 1,500 trees

Native Virginia trees planted at Belmead include:

River Birch (Betula nigra)

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

Yellow Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)

Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)

Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)
Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)

Many thanks go out to the volunteers who gave their time to this project. We couldn’t have done it without you!

If you are interested in projects like this, visit JRA’s Volunteer Center to become a volunteer today!